The present invention concerns an enclosure for securing components such as electronic and/or electric components and, more particularly, an enclosure including one or more tracks to which respective mounting brackets may be mounted for mounting such components within the enclosure.
Enclosures are often used to house many different electronic and/or electric components and their associated wiring and control circuitry. Typically, the components must be fastened in place and often several different components must be mounted rigidly in the same housing and/or in a fixed spatial relationship.
Oftentimes, the total production run of any one particular combination of components is somewhat limited and the cost of producing a custom enclosure is not economically justified. In such instances, enclosures having an ability to be adapted to different component mounting arrangements are used. Similarly, when performing field installation of various electrical wiring and control systems, it is often necessary to install many different combinations of components. In order to maintain the number of different enclosures required to a reasonable level, it is desirable to have enclosures which are extremely flexible in that they are able to accommodate a wide variety of components and mounting arrangements.
Some prior art enclosures include means to accommodate multiple components and mounting arrangements yet suffer from a number of drawbacks. For example, an enclosure in the shape of a box may include one or more tracks which extend from the back to the front of the enclosure. Mounting brackets which hold electrical components or the like may be slid to and fro along the track until a desired position is attained. A tool may then be inserted through a front face of the enclosure to access one or more fasteners positioned at right angles to the side walls of the enclosure and which, when tightened, engage the side wall to secure the bracket to the track.
A problem arises, however, after the adjustable brackets are positioned and secured to the respective tracks and a panel or the like is inserted into the enclosure and connected to the brackets. Once installed, the panel blocks access to the fasteners which secure the brackets to the respective tracks. Thus, the brackets cannot be adjusted to and fro along their respective tracks and, accordingly, the panel cannot be adjusted in the depth direction. A time consuming way to alleviate this problem is to first disassemble the panel from the brackets to gain access to the fasteners which secure the brackets to the respective tracks, and then adjust the brackets and reinstall the panel.
Another undesirable aspect of such mounting structure is that the fastener engages the side wall behind the track. The side wall usually consists of a relatively flat panel structure and the force exerted thereon by the fastener is a point or concentrated source at right angles. Consequently, the fastener, when engaging the respective side wall, affects, at least partially, the structural integrity of the side wall, especially over time whereby components may be repeatedly repositioned, requiring the fasteners to be repeatedly repositioned and retightened into the side wall. Of course, the thickness of the side walls may be increased to better withstand the effects of the engaging fasteners, but this results in higher material and manufacturing costs.
Broadly, the present invention provides an enclosure in the form of a box. The box has a rear wall, four side walls, and an open front face which may be closed by a cover plate or lid over its open front. The box includes four tracks which extend from the open front to the rear wall in each of the corners of the box. Each track is T-shaped with the base leg, or stem portion, of the T connected to the respective corner of the box and the cross bar of the T extending from side to side toward but not touching each adjacent side of the box. A C-shaped mounting bracket fits over the cross bar of the T-shaped track and can be slid to and fro and locked in any position along the length of the track. The C-shaped mounting bracket provides a selectively positionable mounting point for electrical components which are to be housed in the enclosure.
According to an aspect of the invention, an electrical enclosure includes a housing and a longitudinally extending track. The housing has a rear wall and longitudinally extending side walls connected to the rear wall to define an interior region. The track includes a base leg and a pair of branch legs extending laterally therefrom, each of the laterally extending legs being spaced apart by a gap from at least one side wall of the housing.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the base or stem portion of the leg of the track may be connected along its length dimension to one of the side walls of the enclosure, preferably in perpendicular relation thereto. Also, the track is connected to the rear wall, and preferably integrally formed with a side wall of the enclosure. Alternatively, the track may be a freestanding structure relative to the housing of the enclosure. The branch legs of the track are generally parallel to a side wall and extend in opposing directions from the base leg.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the track is generally T-shape in transverse cross section. Other geometries, such as Y-shape or circular shape may alternatively or also be employed.
According to another aspect of the invention, a mounting bracket for mounting components to a track includes a base portion and at least one leg extending laterally from the base portion. The base portion and leg define therebetween a longitudinally extending groove enabling the bracket to be longitudinally slid to and fro along a track corresponding in transverse cross section to a transverse cross section of the groove. The base portion includes at least one opening for receipt therein of a fastener. The opening is positioned to direct the fastener inserted therein into engagement with the track, whereby the at least one leg of the bracket bears against the track to prevent movement of the bracket relative to the track.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the at least one opening of the base portion is disposed along a first axis and the longitudinally extending groove is disposed along a second axis, and the first axis is either inclined or parallel relative to the second axis. The angle may be any angle, for example, 20xc2x0. The opening may extend longitudinally to a bottom surface of the bracket or alternatively the opening may be a blind opening.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the opening has a top portion at which a fastener may be inserted and a bottom portion at which the fastener emerges when inserted into the opening. The laterally extending leg includes a bearing region which bears against the track when the mounting bracket is secured thereto. To this end, at least a portion of the bottom portion of the opening faces a region on the opposite side of the track from the bearing region. In an embodiment, the top portion has a wider cross section than that of the bottom portion. The opening may be tapered to aid receipt of the fastener into the opening.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a combination electrical enclosure and mounting bracket include a housing, at least one substantially longitudinally extending track, and a mounting bracket slidably moveable on the track. The housing has a rear wall and longitudinally extending side walls connected to the rear wall to define an interior region. The track extends through the interior region and defines on one side thereof a fastener engaging region and on an opposing side thereof a bearing region. The bracket includes at least one leg in sliding contact with the bearing region of the track and at least one opening for receipt therein of a fastener. The opening is positioned to direct the fastener inserted therein into engagement with the fastener engaging region of the track, whereby the at least one leg of the bracket bears against the bearing region of the track to prevent movement of the bracket relative to the track.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the at least one track is generally T-shape in transverse cross section and the mounting bracket is generally C-shape in transverse cross section and corresponds in shape to the T-shape cross section of the at least one track. The base leg of the T-shape track is connected to at least one side wall of the housing and the lateral legs thereof extend in opposing directions from the base leg. Each lateral leg defines a respective fastener engaging region and an opposing bearing region. To this end, the legs of the C-shape mounting bracket form the at least one leg and are in sliding contact with the respective bearing regions of the respective lateral legs of the T-shape bracket, whereby when the fastener is inserted into the at least one opening the legs of the C-shape bracket bear against the respective bearing regions to prevent movement of the bracket relative to the track.
According to another embodiment of the invention, there may be a pair of openings corresponding to the respective legs of the C-shape mounting bracket, whereby when a fastener is inserted into a respective opening, the respective leg of the C-shape bracket bears against the respective bearing region to prevent movement of the bracket relative to the track. The opening is disposed along a first axis and the longitudinally extending track is disposed along a second axis. The first axis is either inclined or parallel relative to the second axis. An exemplary angle may be, for example, about 20xc2x0.
The track and opening of the mounting bracket may take on other geometries, for example Y-shape and circular. To this end, the at least one track has a prescribed shape in transverse cross section and the mounting bracket has a prescribed shape in transverse cross section and corresponds in shape to the prescribed geometric cross section of the at least one track.
The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail illustrative embodiments of the invention, such being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.